Move in, use them for a month, then determine if you want to spend the money to change it.

So those two cabinets on the end pull out like a drawer? And you verified that the way they were shown in the picture above was correct? I agree the pulls should have been installed based on rendering above. They need to replace them at no cost to you. This happened to me on a few doors and I did not pay to have them replaced. Appliance store messed 1 up on my dishwasher and my GC messed up another. They each paid for the replacement door.

I believe the contractor will pay for the 2 doors, unfortunately I walked into the house when the sub was installing the HW and gave the OK to how it got installed. I was honest with my contractor and told him I said YES to installing HW vertical VS horizontal. But he agreed I should not be being asked all these questions when plans are available

Sometimes we learn the hard way to tell the contractor to look at the plans. If the contractor will pay for new doors then do that. Or split the cost. Just because they work now doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be uneven wear on the hardware over time. For me it would even be worth splitting the cost to have it function the way it was original planned. It will also be ergonomically awkward to be pulling the doors open in that fashion.

I think disguising them as a typical door vertically (but to an unsuspecting persons surprise they pull out) is a much nicer feature than horizontal handles at the top of a tall narrow door. I would be more concerned about the 2 doors not being equally balanced.

If those cabinets are supposed to pull straight out, I would prefer to have horizontal handles at the top, as shown on your construction drawing. The vertical handles as they are now placed, per your photograph, will pull unevenly. Not such a big deal with the smaller spice cabinet, but a horrible deal with the garbage cabinet.

If they pull down, I would prefer horizontal handles at the top, as shown on your construction drawing.

If the cabinets swing open, like upper kitchen cabinets do, then the vertical handles are fine. But I don't think those doors swing open.

By the way, your construction drawing shows two horizontal handles on that upper (middle) drawer on the island, but your photograph shows that only one was installed.

Contractor asked you and you changed your mind. Your fault.

I expect they want you to be happy, so maybe splitting the cost on 2 new fronts would be a compromise.

If the words you both used were if you want them consistent, then no, they are not consistent. These pull outline your drawers, they really are just a kind of drawer, so the handles should be installed consistent with how the other drawer handles are installed.

Aesthetically, if you want to change them, then do it. But I don't believe it'll cause uneven wear on the drawer mechanism. My garbage incorrectly had a corner knob installed rather than a center pull when I remodeled my kitchen 9 years ago. I left it as is and the pullout is still functioning fine, even after 9 years in a house with 4 teenagers.

I'm pretty sure on my garbage pullout that handle placement would hurt the cabinet. Garbage pullouts in my home take a beating.

Change it now. If you wait, you'll never do it and it really should be horizontal. It wouldn't bug me aesthetically, but you want the garbage pullout to come out easily with a gentle tug. I'm not convinced a full garbage is going to be easily accessed with the handle on the side like that.

it really depends on the hardware being used. modern day stae of the art technology shouldn't matter where it's installed. It should function smoothly and horizontal pulls really are a distraction if they are not all horizontal. At the end of the day it is your kitchen and you have to live with it. if he is willing to rectify the issue do what you prefer

It has been almost 9 years since I redid my kitchen and my trash pullout with the hardware installed vertically continues to operate flawlessly. It is opened multiple times each day.

No problems opening and closing it properly. People who are not familiar with my kitchen are surprised when I tell them where my trash is but they have no trouble pulling it out.

Let's drop the reverence for plans, please. They're more like written suggestions than monuments carved in stone. Designers can draw anything and some of it can be crazy occasionally.

You okayed the plan override verbally. Game over.

It looks fine to me, visually. I would have preferred the look that the plans show, but the way they were installed doesn't look bad.

I would leave them as installed rather than try to fill/match the holes.

To me this would feel awkward to pull it open from the side. Over time, you'll adapt.

To avoid in the future- blue painters tape placed where you want handles eliminates "freelancing" or misinterpretation.